Watercolor paintings, computer animations, digital photography and glazed ceramics include just some of the pieces forming the Art Gallery’s annual student show.
The show this year contains 140 different creations made by students in various art classes at El Camino College.
“I always say this every year, I think it gets better every year. I don’t know how that happens, but … it’s not just their [students] technical skill, but I see their creativity,” Michael Miller, director of gallery and museum programming, said.
Works in the show are selected by art professors who choose up to two student submissions from each class they teach to feature in the gallery.
During the reception Friday, May 21, students from the ECC Jazz Ensemble performed live music outside the Art Gallery.
Studio arts major Ruth Kembay, 20, said the jazz band’s music was incredible.
“The music was one of my favorite parts of the show besides getting to see all the beautiful paintings and sculptures and ceramic pieces that are being displayed right now,” Kembay said.
The show also provides students an opportunity to sell their work to inquiring viewers. Out of all the artworks in the show, 51 were listed for sale.
“There was people asking, some artists have their art listed for sale and some didn’t,” Kimberly Villacreses, temporary non-classified worker in the art department, said.
Opportunities for gallery visitors to contribute to the art exhibit were abundant.
Anyone interested in channeling their creativity is invited to add chalk to the concrete outside, doodle on a chest of drawers and sketch on a tabletop.
Many attendees could be seen adding their own touches to the exhibit during the show’s reception.
“It engaged, especially non-artists, to practice, because we had a lot of people say ‘Oh, I don’t know how to draw,’ — I was like, you don’t have to draw. You can draw your name … even how you sign your name is considered art,” Villacreses said.
The show closes Thursday, June 5. Retrieval of student artwork will be Monday, June 9.
Student works featured in this show may also be entered in the Art Gallery’s summer open-call art show, which will exhibit works in all mediums from community artists.
Top artworks will receive first, second and third place recognition with prizes.
“After the big move, we’ve got the cultural center [the Art Gallery and Anthropology Museum] going full scale now, it’s just really great,” Miller said.
